WORRALS FLIES AGAIN

by Captain W. E. Johns

This story was first published in 15 monthly instalments in the "Girl's Own Paper" from October 1942 to December 1943. Although this was in fact the second Worrals book published (in time) as it was published in September 1942, it contained the third Worrals story. The third Worrals book published in October 1942, "Worrals Carries On", contained a story that had been serialised in 12 monthly instalments in the Girl's Own Paper between October 1941 and September 1942 and from the content, it is clear that it was written before “Worrals Flies Again”.

I. WORRALS HAS A VISITOR (Pages 7 - 17)

Flight-Officer Joan Worralson, W.A.A.F., better known to her friends as "Worrals" is complaining to her best friend, Section-Officer "Frecks" Lovell (Johns doesn't tell us that her first name is 'Betty'), about the boring routine of drill. They are then summoned to meet their Commanding Officer, Squadron-Leader McNavish, who is, in fact, waiting outside their hut. There is a man from the "Intelligence people from the Ministry" who wants to see Worrals. The C.O.'s advice is "Mebbe I shouldna say it, but a wise soldier never volunteers for anything. He gets nothing if things go right, and all the kicks if they go wrong." Worrals goes with the C.O. to meet the officer who is Squadron-Leader Marcus Yorke. He says to Worrals "Don't think that the useful work which you have done for the Intelligence Branch has not been noticed by the Higher Command". Yorke has in mind a scheme. Information from friends in occupied countries needs to be bought home with the least possible loss of time. Radio can he overheard and tracked down in time. Visual signalling can be defeated by fog. They have come up with a scheme whereby an aeroplane will be kept at the Chateau Delarose, a mile back from the River Loire, between Tours and Blois in France. The Chateau is owned by the Count de la Rose whose son is fighting with the Free French. The plane to be used is a 'Merton Midget' with foldable wings and the plan is for it to be hidden in the Chateau's cellars. Flights home will only be made at night. The Chateau is in a state of disrepair and is only occupied by the custodian, an old man named Alphonse Mundier, his wife Louise and a son named Lucien, who is "not quite right in the head". Worrals frowned. "You mean he's a lunatic? I don't mind Nazis, but I draw the line at having a half-wit around". Worrals is shown a photograph of a man, the head of the Gestapo in occupied France called Wilhelm von Brandisch. She is told he has a dry, rasping cough, due to a chest complaint and she will have to beware if he is around. Worrals asks to be allowed to take her friend Frecks. "She is absolutely reliable, and also happens to be a pilot. There ought to be a reserve pilot in case anything happened to me". Yorke agrees subject to confirmation by the Higher Command. Worrals agrees to go that night. Worrals returns to Frecks and tells her they are off to France.